John relaxed back into his seat with a soft smile, happy that they were able to entertain their children with such ease. Marriage and family were definitely working out for all of them. "I think we both did a rather fantastic job today." A proud grin soon overtook his lips before he tilted his head and placed a gentle kiss against his husband's cheek.
Amy watched Thomas for a moment before deciding that looking out the window was clearly more interesting. But after a long moment she shifted in her seat with a small whimper, kicking her feet a bit to indicate that she was starting to get uncomfortable.
Sherlock smiled and nodded. Amy squirming in the back caught his attention. He glanced into the rear view mirror. "We will be stopping soon to eat Baby Girl. Just a little bit longer and then you can be out of that seat." Hopefully that would help keep her from throwing a fit in the car.
Thomas turned to look at Amy when he heard his Daddy talking to her. He reached over and grabbed her hand. "It is okay Sis. We'll be out soon just like Papa said."
John winced as he realized what was going on, looking at Sherlock and biting his bottom lip before watching as Thomas stepped in. Their little boy was already doing a fantastic job of being an older brother and every day was a new surprise with him. So he just sat back and smiled, reaching a hand out to rest on his husband's knee to give it a squeeze.
Amy whimpered a little more before looking at Thomas, taking a deep breath and relaxing into her seat with a small cry. Nobody was really paying attention to her, just her older brother, which meant crying and screaming would get her nowhere. Instead she just looked at Thomas, smiled, and squeezed his hand. This was far better than squirming in her car seat.
Sherlock frowned a bit and decided to take the first exit he found off the road that had some place to eat. A sit down restaurant but something American for the kids. Family friendly. Steak N' Shake? Sure why not. He drove into the black and white checkered building's parking lot. He parked the car and moved swiftly to remove little Sandi from the seat.
Thomas glanced up at the restaurant with big eyes. This place looked neat. And American! That made him grin. "See Sis, we are getting out of the car now!" He was hungry but he waited for his Dad to help him out of the car.
As soon as the car stopped John got out, moving to open the door so he could help Thomas get out. "Here we are," he said as he glanced toward the building. This was definitely something that Thomas would enjoy and he was happy that they were able to make him so happy on their vacation. "You're going to really like this place, aren't you?" He chuckled and ruffled their son's hair before leading the family into the restaurant.
Amy instantly wrapped her arms around Sherlock's neck but was completely silent. Time to pout because she knew that when they were done eating she was going to have to go back into her car seat and that wasn't what she wanted at all.
Sherlock frowned some at how little Sandi reacted, hopefully she would do better while they ate. He followed John and Thomas into the restaurant. A high chair had been given for Amy to put in, but for now he held her. That should appease their daughter for a bit anyway. Should he get anything? Maybe. He still had a bit of a headache, making his recollection fuzzy. He wasn't sure when he had last eaten
Thomas looked around with big eyes. The workers wore funny white hats on their heads. Shakes! Maybe Dad would let him get one? He had gotten a lot of other things on the trip. Maybe if it was fruit flavored, it would be okay. But he really wanted chocolate. "Dad...can I get a shake please? Strawberry maybe?" The menu said they had child sized things, so maybe he would be able to get it.
John studied the menu before glancing at Thomas with a smile. Sometimes their children deserved to be spoiled just a bit so he reached out and ruffled their son's hair. "How about a chocolate one, yeah? I know you'll love that." With a warm smile he leaned down and placed a quick kiss on his temple, pulling him close for a moment. "Because I know you'll want a burger and fries, too, so a chocolate shake would be the most perfect thing to finish off the meal."
Amy sat back against Sherlock's chest without a care, looking up at him occasionally before she pointed to the smallest strawberry shake on the menu. "I wants that, Papa," she whispered softly.
Sherlock nodded. "Of course you can get that Baby Girl." The place smelled mostly of grease but it was still somehow appealing to him. He held little Sandi in one arm and held a menu in the other. He had decided he was going to eat. Probably not everything but he wanted to try this place out while he had the chance.
Thomas' eyes went wide. "Okay! Thanks Dad!" He gave John a sideways hug and he went back to looking over the menu. "What's a steakburger? Is that like a hamburger?" He glanced between his parents curiously.
John couldn't help the massive smile on his face and as he opened the menu himself he just nodded. "I think it might be," he murmured softly. "Probably just as delicious and sounds a bit more American to me." With a small nod he just grinned from ear to ear, clearly happy that they were out of the car for a bit and enjoying each other's company.
Amy squirmed a bit, was still, and then officially decided she was comfortable. Just like that she was settled in, looking at the menu despite the fact that she hardly understood any of it. "And can I has half a hamsburger? A'cause I can't eats a whole one."
Sherlock glanced down to little Sandi with a smile. "Maybe you and Thomas can split one?" He looked back at the menu. "Think I will try this Frisco Burger..." He wouldn't get any sides, just the sandwich. Maybe a shake like the children. "What are you going to get my dear doctor?" He looked over to John as he put the menu away.
Thomas nodded. "Sis we can share!" He looked over the menu with wide eyes. "Dad! Can we get cheese fries? That sounds really good!" Would that be allowed? He was already eating a burger and getting a shake... He looked up to John hopefully.
Splitting food was better for the children considering how unhealthy it all was. Price wasn't an issue at all but John wanted to keep them on a healthy diet as much as possible. After a moment he moved and placed a hand right between their son's shoulder blades. "Thank you for sharing with your sister. I'll get you guys some cheese fries, too." Nothing on the menu looked good to him but he knew he would end up picking off of Sherlock's plate anyway.
So many good things were going to get order for food and Amy was beyond excited. "I wants to split with 'Mas then and I needs lotsa ketchup, yeah? A'cause I wants it with my cheesey fries." She nodded confidently before looking up at Sherlock. "And I gets a pink shake, right Papa?"
Sherlock frowned a bit when John didn't appear to want to order anything. "Do you want to split, like the children are doing?" He smirked at his husband before turning his attention to little Sandi. "Yes, Baby Girl it will be pink."
Thomas didn't think ketchup sounded good on cheese fries at all but he didn't say so. If Amy wanted to eat that, then why not? He was excited to order and eat because the place smelled amazing to him.
Sherlock had noticed and there was no possible way for John to avoid the question. After a moment he nodded, smiling softly at his husband. "Why don't we do that? I'd love to share." There was certainly nothing wrong with that and they'd look rather adorable doing it. "I'll eat whatever it is you want to order, yeah?" With a small nod he closed his menu.
Amy grinned at Thomas and leaned back against Sherlock without a care. "I will puts my ketchup on my own plate, 'Mas and then you doesn't has to have any on the fries." She nodded at her explanation before looking up at Sherlock happily.
Sherlock smirked and nodded and once the waiter came over he ordered for the family. A Frisco melt and a side salad that he would just let his husband have. He would probably only eat half the sandwich. He then ordered for the children, making sure to get them shakes. He got water for himself and decided to let John order his own drink, since he wasn't sure what his husband might want to drink.
Thomas kicked his feet excitedly at the shake being ordered for him. "Can I have crayons and a pen again? So I can draw on the back of the place mat please?" He looked up to his Dad hopefully.
"Water, please," John said to the waiter before the man ran off to get their food. That little gesture by Sherlock was enough to make him grin and as the waiter brought back everything that Thomas had requested - pen, crayons, and a coloring sheet for each child - he focused intently on his husband. Right away one foot under the table rested gently against Sherlock's, pressing down just a bit before he raised an eyebrow.
Amy right away wiggled in Sherlock's lap, reaching for her own crayons, pen, and sheet, before starting to color. Lines clearly weren't an issue for her and she instead colored over the entire paper without a care.
Sherlock smirked returned the foot nudging with his own. It was a way to be intimate without worrying about upsetting the children or anyone else for that matter. Tonight they would have a hotel room to themselves. Soon. The drive wasn't much longer now. They were over half way to D.C. already.
Thomas frowned a bit and he gave his coloring sheet to Amy. He wanted to draw on the back of the place mat like he had last time. So, he did. He drew a bit, then he would color. He was completely focused on his task, his tongue sticking out just a bit in fierce concentration.
There it was. Slight flirting, something he definitely needed. John grinned, returning the nudge with a soft laugh. This was perfect, something to keep him focused on anything but the fact that they still had a slight drive ahead of them. It was easy to see exactly what Sherlock was thinking and he blushed just a bit before looking up. Not only had their drinks arrived but so had a second coloring sheet for Thomas.
Amy bit her bottom lip, continuing to color before looking up. John and Sherlock were wrapped up in each other so she simply smiled. Everybody was calm and so was she which she didn't mind at all. The moment her shake got there she ignored her coloring in favor of drinking up the strawberry shake with a grin.
Sherlock smirked as they began their foot play. Simple contact. Yet something they both enjoyed doing. He ran the tip of shoe up the length of John's leg about half way before his long legs couldn't reach without having to slouch in his chair. So, he trailed his foot back down the path it had just taken.
Thomas ignored the other sheet brought. He was too busy drawing on the blank side of the place mat. The drawing and coloring was quickly forgotten in favor of taking a sip of his chocolate shake. How come everything in America seemed to taste better?
Now things were getting serious and John let a shiver run up his spine. Already it was a promise of what to expect later that night and he could hardly wait. So he stared at his husband for a moment before dropping his gaze. The food was delivered soon after that and he took the side salad Sherlock had order with a quick smile. After he took his first bite he moved his foot up the farthest he could manage on Sherlock's calf.
Amy smiled at the food that was set down in front of Thomas before the waiter cut it in half and put it on a plate for her. Right away she dug in, eating the burger sloppily and clearly not caring that she was making quite a mess not only on the table but on her face as well.
Sherlock smirked at John. Tonight was going to be amazing. Not too much longer now. His thoughts were interrupted by the food being brought to their table. He picked up half the sandwich and took a bite. Hmmm, not too bad. The sauce was interesting and he hadn't had anything quite like it before.
Food! Thomas had to remind himself to have manners and not eat like he had when on the island. He took some of the cheese fries to try first. They were really good! He took another sip of his chocolate shake. He tried the steakburger next and like everything else, was amazing.
Just like that they were all silent, enjoying their food and the company of one another. John ate his salad slowly, simply picking at it and then taking a small bite. For some reason he just wasn't feeling too hungry. Maybe it had to do with the excitement in his body about what would be happening later that night.
Amy ate her half of the sandwich much like a little child, making a mess before reaching over and eating a few of the cheese fries. Most of the food ended up all over her but she clearly didn't care and was grinning from ear to ear. "We should get a place likes this in London."
Sherlock frowned as he watched John. Usually it was him who didn't want to eat. He took another bite of the burger and then gently nudged his husband's leg with his foot to catch John's attention. His eyebrows were raised slightly, as if asking his husband 'what's wrong?'
Thomas was oblivious to his parents. He continued to eat enthusiastically, taking drinks from his chocolate shake every so often. He looked over to Amy and smiled with a nod. "They should! That would be neat!"
John knew that Sherlock would notice, the man was an absolute genius. After a few small bites of his salad he took a deep breath, letting out a small sigh. There was much to explain, really, and he didn't know what to say, exactly. So he smiled, biting his bottom lip as a slight blush spread over his cheeks. Maybe he was just a bit nervous about their plans later that night. Lately sexual experiences had been a bit off for him because he had trouble getting hard.
When Thomas sounded just excited as excited about her idea, Amy just grinned. "Thanks, 'Mas," she whispered as she picked up a cheese fry and ate it slowly. Hearing her brother think she had a good idea was always a big deal to her since she wanted to grow up and be just like him.
The blush gave it away and Sherlock gave a slight nod of his head in understanding. The children seemed distracted by the food but he decided to sign to John anyway, just in case. 'Relax. Everything will be fine.' He gave his husband a reassuring smile, his foot once more running the length of John's leg slowly.
Thomas was too captivated by the food to notice his parents. He was really enjoying all the American food they had been eating lately. Also, he had been able to eat food he didn't usually get to eat back home in London. He grinned at Amy. "Of course Sis!"
John smiled warmly at Sherlock, letting out a soft sigh before leaning over and taking the other half of his husband's hamburger. Delicious, just like he figured. Relaxing was far easier when he had his husband willing to help him. "'S good," he murmured as he moved his legs to trap one of Sherlock's.
Amy picked a bit at the cheese fries before picking one out and eating slowly at it. While it was obvious that her brother absolutely loved American food, she seemed to be adjusting to it a lot less. Her tastes were stuck in London but she hardly minded.
Sherlock smirked and nodded in agreement. It wasn't bad for American food. Although, he had never been picky about what he ate because to him food was just one of life's necessity and not something he had ever really enjoyed. He did quite like tea and missed the tea from London. He wiggled his leg a bit, against John's, the smirk growing.
Thomas continued to eat, happily. It was clear he was enjoying the food. The cheese fries were his favorite though. They were just as delicious as he thought they would be. And the shake! So rich and creamy.
The fact that they were flirting made John grin around the food in his mouth before he released his husband's leg. This was perfect for him, something he was rather enjoying only because it was distracting him from the fears he had about later that night. Maybe he just needed to stay positive. The last few times he had been able to get hard without a problem.
After a few more bites from her side of the sandwich Amy fell back into her booster seat, both hands over her stomach as she let out a small hiccup. "I is full," she murmured, sounding just a little miserable.
Sherlock managed to finish his half the sandwich, but he wouldn't need to eat again for a couple days. The children were still distracted so he signed to John. 'If you are nervous, no need. I can work you up though, if you want.' He smirked at his husband, his foot wiggling free and moving up the leg of the trousers to touch John's bare skin.
Thomas continued to eat enthusiastically. The cheese fries were so wonderful. He ate the rest, since it was clear Amy was done. He then finished off his shake and finally the last few bites of his burger. He looked over to his sister to make sure she was okay. Hopefully she hadn't eaten too much. "You okay Sis?" His parents were too busy making weird faces at each other to notice, but he had. He always did.
Without the children watching he felt far more comfortable signing to Sherlock so when Thomas started talking, John lifted his hands up. 'Might need to,' he admitted as a blush spread across his cheeks. 'Getting old but promise you're attractive.' Even after all those years he was still having trouble forming works and complete sentences. That was good with him, though, because Sherlock always knew what he was saying.
When Thomas turned to her, Amy let out a small hiccup. "I thinks that I eated too fast," she murmured with a small smile. Knowing that her older brother was concerned was comforting and she leaned to the side, resting against him with a small smile. "And I don't thinks that my tummy likes 'Merican foods."
Sherlock smirked and nodded. 'Well, you are the adorable one. Let us not forget that.' The smirk got bigger because he knew how John would react to what he just signed. He chanced a glance at the children. They were still distracted. Good. They could probably leave soon though, everyone seemed to be done eating.
Thomas frowned a little. "Maybe if you nap in the car, you feel better and when you wake up again we will be at the next hotel." He gave Amy a slight nod of his head, an encouraging smile coming to his lips.
The adorable one. For the first time in his life John accepted the compliment and could do nothing more than smile about the fact that they were flirting and simply enjoy time with each other as well as their family. It was perfect. 'And you are the handsome one.' The reply was simple and so very true.
Amy nodded with a small hiccup, clearly agreeing as a small smile tugged at her lips. "Yeah," she murmured before leaning to the side and letting herself rest against her brother's side. Just being near her older brother was enough for her to smile and attempt to focus on being happy.
Well that was a surprise but Sherlock only smirked further. He let his gaze drift from John and over to the children. "We should probably get going." He left a a tip on the table, then stood picked up Amy carefully. He went to the counter to pay for their bill. Once he was sure his husband and Thomas were ready, he led his family out to the car and put little Sandi into the car seat, hoping their daughter wouldn't fuss about it too much.
Thomas smiled and took Amy's hand for a moment in reassurance before he followed both parents out to the car. He climbed into the back quietly, hoping his sister would be able to fall asleep soon because he knew she didn't like being in the car seat.
When their meal was done, John easily follow after his husband, holding Thomas' hand as they made their way to the car. Once they were all comfortable he sat back in his own seat, letting out a soft, shaky sigh. The food had filled him up and they all seemed rather content. Even Amy was quiet, eyes slipping shut as she easily fell asleep in her car seat. That was all they needed, really, was for her to be calm and not squirm about for the rest of the trip
Sherlock continued the drive D.C. and with the children asleep in the back seat, it made for a quiet and peaceful drive. He pulled into a hotel parking lot. "I'll get the rooms readied, if you get the children ready." He leaned over and gave John a quick kiss on the lips. He got out of the car and went into the lounge to pay for the rooms.
When they finally arrived John felt more nervous than anything else. This was going to be the first time in days that they would have each other in the most intimate way possible. But he knew it would be just fine. Together they would give pleasure to the other just like they always deserved. After the quick kiss he moved and got both of the kids ready. They both were asleep so he simply picked them both up, having to simply instruct the young bellhop where everything would go before following in after Sherlock. "They're exhausted," he said softly as he moved to stand beside his husband with both kids in his arms.
Sherlock gave John a slight smirk. "I hope you aren't." He raised an eyebrow suggestively and opened the door the room the children would be staying in first. They would need to make sure little Sandi and Thomas were down before going to their own room. He tipped the bellhop and began putting away the children's luggage, making sure to put it out so they could find it easily enough.
With the grace that only a parent could have, John moved to lay each of them down in a bed, grabbing some clothes for them to sleep in. First he set about changing Amy, easily getting her back to sleep as she opened her eyes with a small smile. "We're here, Amy, but it's bedtime. Go back to sleep and I'll see you tomorrow morning." Just like that she was back out, curling around her stuffed animal with a small yawn. Then he turned and started to get Thomas into his pajamas as well, grinning from ear to ear as he got their son ready for bed, too.
After he put the children's luggage away, Sherlock moved to their room. Although it wasn't really needed, it offered two beds. He had gotten two, just in case the children wanted to stay in their room one night while they were in the capital. He wasn't sure if he should get ready for tonight or just let things lead wherever. He knew John was nervous, so no rushing. He need to make his husband feel comfortable and at ease.
Thomas groaned but didn't wake up. The car ride had been long and taken a lot out of him. He shifted a bit on the bed, getting more comfortable before settling still and falling back into a peaceful slumber.
With both of the children ready for bed John smiled, turning off the light and moving into their room as well. When the door between the two rooms was shut he locked it, just to be safe. "You look amazing tonight," he whispered, a small blush spreading across his cheeks as he moved closer to his husband. This was their first night alone and he could hardly contain himself. While he was still nervous, it was clear that he was beyond ready for everything about to happen.